On if T Taylor Decker will play Sunday: “We’re just taking it day-by-day. He’s been getting used to it. He went out there Wednesday, kind of had a bigger club if you will, and then we reduced it Thursday and got him some reps. It’s hard to say right now. We’ll do some more today and then see where we’re at. We still have a roster spot with (Corey) Ballentine down, so we’ll just kind of play it by ear.” On if T Penei Sewell needs more reps at right tackle: “He needs some reps there, but we’ve tried to do both. We’ve got walkthrough reps where he’s taking some right, and then full-speed reps as well. So, we’ve tried to kind of tinker with it, but yet, prepare for both ways if you will.” On if DE Kevin Strong will play Sunday: “I think he’s a little further away. We’ve got him back and he is practicing, but I think he’s probably about a week out.” On if RB Godwin Igwebuike will get kick return reps with CB Corey Ballentine on Injured/Reserve: “Godwin and Tom Kennedy will probably be a couple of guys we may take a shot at and see what they look like.” On if he has to reevaluate practices during the season because of mounting injuries: “We look at everything. As much as you can – we’ve looked at – preseason you look at, you look at the spring. I kind of feel like a lot of this is where spring starts and there’s a reduction there that I think kind of sets things in motion one way or another a little bit. But, we look at everything. We try to be smart by the numbers. I mean, we track everything here and I pay attention to the numbers, but we’re constantly looking to see if it’s something we’re doing or something we can do better. Right now, there’s nothing that just stares at you and says that we’re doing something wrong, but we’ll look at all of it.” On RB Jamaal Williams’ injury and illness: “He’s better. He’s here and he feels better and he’s going to practice today, so it should be good.” On if the coaching staff has improved through the first five weeks of the season: “We have because it’s – first of all, just being able to work together and get through all of these – get through just all of the ins and outs of working with one another, then working with me, game day, and building game plans together. You figure a lot out about each other. Really, no different than players, but what the strength of your staff is. Some excel at different areas than others and, how do you blend that and how do they complement each other? And so, it’s evolving and you’re figuring it out and that’s as big of a part of it as the players as well. And then inside of that, you do. You get the injuries, and so you’re kind of adapting to that and where you go. It’s getting better, but it is. It’s a process.” On the production from free agent signings with chips on their shoulder like WR Kalif Raymond and OLB Charles Harris: “Look, I think you nailed two of them. I would say Alex Anzalone is another one. I think that’s – now, we traded for (Michael) Brockers, but you can throw Brockers in there, too. Now, he’s been a warhorse for a long time, but yeah, I think it’s exactly those guys. In regards to that, I think absolutely. I wish we had more of them. But, yeah, they do. I think they’ve made the most of their opportunities and I think they’re steady performers for us, productive players. And so, yeah, and you hope some of these young guys are watching and learning. I mean, we’re constantly harping on, ‘Man, this is what a pro looks like. This is how you prepare for a game. This is how you practice.’ And that’s what we’re wanting to eventually catch fire and then it becomes part of who you are. It’s part of your DNA as a team.” On if the mistakes made in the first half against the Chicago Bears were a residual effect from the loss against the Baltimore Ravens and how they correct those mistakes: “You address it and I’ve addressed it. That is something we’re highly sensitive to because we didn’t play our best game. And so, yeah, we can’t fall into that – you can’t fall into that trap again, if you will, is to you can’t let that effect you. You’ve got to go back to work and it’s all been said, but nobody cares, nobody feels sorry for you. All that matter is you win. And so, ‘Man, you’ve got to go back to work and if we don’t put in the same amount of effort that we did last week for this one and focus and everything to give ourselves a chance, then we won’t have a chance against Cincinnati.’ And I do feel like they’ve done that this week. They’ve come back to work, but that’s been a focal point this week is we can’t go out there and do what we did against Chicago.” On if young players have to learn how to close out games: “100 percent, and I think you have to try to put yourself in as many of those situations as you can in preparation for games. But then, yeah, you just – the only way to gain confidence is to prove you can do it in a game and be there and have found a way to finish out because now you know what that feels like. You know what it looks like, you understand what the pressure is and you overcome it. You find a way to make that one extra play, or that one less mistake that your opponent made to win. So, absolutely. You are eventually trying to train yourself to find a way to win those games and understand the pressure that you’re put under to perform and not crack.” |
